Timed Up and Go (TUG) Test

Description: Measure of function with correlates to balance and fall risk

Equipment: Stopwatch, Standard Chair, Measured distance of 3 meters (10 feet)

Patient Instructions: “My commands for this test are going to be ‘ready, set, go’. When I say go, I want
you to stand up from the chair. You may use the arms of the chair to stand up or sit down. Once you are
up, you may take any path you like, but I want you to move as QUICKLY as you feel safe and comfortable
until you pass this piece of tape (or end of marked course) with both feet. Turn around and walk back to
the chair. I will stop the clock when your back touches the back of the chair. You will complete one
practice run and two that are counted.”

Therapist Instructions: Start timing on the word “GO” and stop timing when the subject is seated again
correctly in the chair with their back resting on the back of the chair. The subject wears their regular
footwear, may use any gait aid that they normally use during ambulation, but may not be assisted by
another person. There is no time limit. They may stop and rest (but not sit down) if they need to.

Interpretation:

≤ 10 seconds = normal

≤ 20 seconds = good mobility, can go out alone, mobile without gait aid

≤ 30 seconds = problems, cannot go outside alone, requires gait aid

* A score of ≥ 14 seconds has been shown to indicate high risk of falls

Age Matched Norms:

Timed Up and Go Age in years Mean in seconds
60-­­69 7.9 +/-­­ 0.9
70-­­79 7.7 +/-­­ 2.3
80-­­89 No device: 11.0 +/-­­ 2.2
With device: 19.9 +/-­­ 6.4
90-­­101 No device: 14.7 +/-­­ 7.9
With device: 19.9 +/-­­ 2.5

1. Podsiadlo D, Richardson S. The Time “Up & Go”: A Test of Basic Functional Mobility for Frail Elderly Persons. Journal of American
Geriatrics Society 1991; 39(2): 142148.
2. Shumway Cook A, Brauer S, Woollacott M. Predicting the Probability for Falls in Community Dwelling Older Adults Using the Timed Up &
Go Test. Physical Therapy 2000; 80(9): 896903.
3. Lusardi MM, Pellecchia GL, Schulman M. Functional Performance in Community Living Older Adults. Journal of Geriatric Physical Therapy
2003; 26(3): 14-­­22.
4. Saskatoon Falls Prevention Consortium, Falls Screening and Referral Algorithm, TUG, Saskatoon Falls Prevention Consortium, June 2005
 6 Minute Walk Test ( 6 MWT)

Description: The 6 Minute Walk Test is a measure of endurance.

Equipment: Stopwatch, rolling tape measure, long hallway or loop walkway

Patient Instructions: “I am going to measure how far you can walk in 6 minutes. When I say ‘go’, I want you to walk
around the hallway (track) for 6 minutes. Keep walking until I say ‘stop’ or until you are too tired to go any further. If
you need to rest, you can stop until you feel ready to go again. You may also lean against the wall if necessary, but
you should resume walking as soon as you are able. Remember that the object is to walk AS FAR AS POSSIBLE for 6
minutes, but don’t run or jog. I will let you know at 2 minutes, 4 minutes, and when you have one minute left. You
can begin when I say ‘go’.”

Therapist Instructions: Time the subject for 6 minutes, then say “stop.” Measure the distance walked.

STOP testing based on the following criteria:

1. C/o angina symptoms (chest pain or tightness)

2. Any of the following symptoms
 Light-­­headedness  Marked dyspnea
 Confusion  Unusual fatigue
 Ataxia, staggering unsteadiness  Signs of peripheral circulatory insufficiency
 Pallor  Claudication or other significant pain
 Cyanosis  Facial expressions signifying distress
 Nausea
3. Abnormal cardiac responses
 Systolic BP drops > 10 mmHg
 Systolic BP rises to >250 mmHg
 Diastolic BP rises to > 120 mmHg
 Heart rate drops more than 15 beats per minute (given the subject was walking the last minutes of the
test versus resting)

* Please notify the physician if the test is terminated for any of these reasons

Age Matched Norms:

6 Minute Walk test Age in years Distance in feet
Men Women
60-­­64 1830-­­2205 1635-­­1980
65-­­69 1680-­­2100 1500-­­1905
70-­­74 1635-­­2040 1440-­­1845
75-­­79 1410-­­1920 1290-­­1755
80-­­84 1335-­­1885 1155-­­1620
85-­­89 1401-­­1710 1020-­­1530
90-­­94 915-­ 1500 825-­ 1320

1. American Thoracic Society (2002). ATS Statement: Guidelines for the Six-­­Minute Walk Test. American Journal of Respiratory Critical Care Medicine, 166,
111-­­117.
2. RIkli, Roberta, and C. Jessie Jones. Senior Fitness Test Manual. Human Kinetics, 2001. Print.
 Single Leg Stance Test

Description: A measure of the ability to stand on one leg and maintain balance

Equipment: Stopwatch

Patient Instructions: “I am going to time how long you can stand on one leg for each leg, keeping your hands on
your hips. We will randomly pick one leg to start. I will start the clock when your foot lifts off the floor. You may
balance using any method that you like as long as you are on one leg and the other leg is unsupported. I will stop
the clock either when your foot touches the ground, your hands come off your hip, you more your standing foot
or the opposite foot braces against the standing leg.”

Therapist Instructions: The test should, ideally, be performed with the patient’s shoes off. Demonstrate the test
for the patient. Use a coin to determine randomly which leg they will do first each time. Repeat three times for
each leg. Average the scores.

Age Matched Norms:

Single Limb Stance Age in years Mean in seconds
20--­29 30.0
30--­39 30.0
40--­49 29.7 +/-­­ 1.3
50--­59 29.4 +/-­­ 2.9
60--­69 22.5 +/-­­ 8.6
70--­79 14.2 +/-­­ 9.3

Timed single leg stance (SLS) has been correlated with amplitude and speed of sway in people without disease (Billek, 1990). The ability to maintain SLS
generally decreases with increasing age (Bohannon et al, 1985; Ekdahl et al, 1989). Single leg stance has been shown to improve over the course of 6
months of rehabilitation (Judge et al, 1993) and during multi-­­site FIXCIT trials. Initial foot position affects the ability to stand in single leg stance (Kirby,
Price, and Macleod, 1987). Rossiter and Wolf et al (1995) found that older adults in the community could maintain SLS for 10 sec about 89% of the time
and nursing home residents for 45% of the time.
 Stair Climbing Test

Description: A measure of ability to ascend and descend a flight of stairs

Equipment: Stopwatch, flight of stairs with rail

Patient Instructions: “I am going to ask you to stand at the bottom of the stairs so that your first step is up. My
commands will be ‘ready, set, go’. Then you are going to walk as QUICKLY as you feel safe and comfortable to
the top of the stairs, turn around, and come back down. I will stop the clock when your second foot touches the
landing. You may use the rail but I only want you to use one rail (determine which), if you can go without the rail
try to do so.”

Therapist Instructions: The patient will perform one practice and two real trials. Average the trials.

Age Matched Norms:

Stair Climbing Test Age Group in years N Mean in seconds SD in seconds Range in seconds
50--­59 24 7.92 1.31 5.13
60--­69 21 10.02 2.39 9.10
70--­79 16 10.9 1.99 6.82
All subjects 63 9.53 2.47 11.96
(age range 50--­82)

1. Mizner RL, Petterson SC, Stevens JE, Snyder-­­Mackler L (2005). Preoperative quadriceps strength predicts functional ability one year
after total knee arthroplasty. The Journal of Rheumatology, 32(8), 1533-­­1539.

2. Mizner RL, Petterson SC, Snyder-­­Mackler L (2005). Quadriceps strength and the time course of functional recovery after total knee
arthroplasty. Journal of Orthopaedic & Sports Physical Therapy, 35(7), 424-­ 436.
 Single Limb Step Test Description:

Measure of time to raise and lower the body 20 times from 6” block Equipment: 6”

block, stopwatch, knee immobilizer

Patient Instructions: “I am going to time how long it takes for you to lower and raise your body on this 6” block.
The leg not being tested will be in a knee immobilizer so it cannot help. You will start by placing your foot of the
leg being tested in the center of the 6” block. My commands will be ‘ready, set, go’ and then you will step up
and down 20 times in a row as quickly as possible. I will keep track of the number of steps during the test. The
heel and toe of the leg with the immobilizer must touch the top of the block and the floor to count as one.”

Therapist Instructions: Demonstrate the test for the patient. Use a coin to randomly determine which leg they
will do first each time. Explain to the patient why they will wear the immobilizer on the limb opposite that being
tested.

Age Matched Norms:

Single Limb Step Age Group in years N Mean in seconds SD in seconds Range in
Test seconds
50-­­59 48 17.49 2.83 10.32
60-­­69 40 21.26 8.40 41.26
70-­­79 32 21.12 15.19 15.19
All Subjects (age range 50-­­82) 122 19.98 6.12 41.26